LDL of 194, Triglycerides over 500

[KathyinScottsdale]

I am a 60 year old female, 5'7". 105 lbs. I have a pacemaker because my sleeping heart rate was in the mid-30's.  I had several syncope attacts that were severe...............lost the vision of my right eye, by falling into a glass of orange juice............fell down a cement stair case of 16 stairs..............no one knows how long I was unconscious until a neighbor found me.  The syncope attacks didn't happen right away...............but took about 5 minutes for me to crash.

My father also was thin, had low pressure, and a low heart rate..............he died of his second MI at 61.  I had been on statins for 2 years, and four years later I just had my complete blood test.  My LDL was 194 and my trigycerides came in at over 500!  My doc increased my statins to 40 mg/day for 6 weeks to see what happens..............

My left arm is sore..........but no chest pain or jaw pain.  

How serious is this?  I am have muscle pains in my thighs, suffer from extreme fatigue, and do not sleep well.  I am not afraid of a Cardiac Arrest, but the thought of the pain of an MI terrifies me.

I don't want to go to the hospital for no reason, and yet, because of my father's history and my LDL and Tyglcerides, I am terrified.  I have a realtor key on my court yard that only the police and EMTs have the code to.  I do not even know it.

Can you offer any advice...............is my left arm a sign?  Are the muscle pains something to worry about?  Am I following in my father's footsteps?

Thank you,

Kathleen Russo

[KathyinScottsdale]

Thank you for posting a comment.  I have worked in health care all of my life, so am fairly familiar with the protocols.  As to youf question on sugars, I don't drink alcohol at all.  I may have one or two beers a year if I'm somewhere.........but basically I just don't enjoy it.  I don't drink any soda.......strictly a lot of water.

I did have a blood test six weeks (which is the current protocol) after starting the statins and my LDL dropped some.  My cardiologist has told me that it will usually level off after six weeks and of course I have a complete annual blood work up..........this level has just shot up since I returned from an extended trip of several months overseas, had my blood work done and they had to double my dose.

I'm aware that statins can cause muscle pains, but thought it was a bit early to have them considering I just began the increased dosage.....however the test for them is not very reliable for any type of myopathy (muscle death)  I can't remember exactly the name (CMK or CKM, something like that)

I think my left arm pain is more muscle than angina.........and my fall was two years ago, so those pains have long gone..............I don't think angina would last this long without progressing.

I will retest after being on this increased dosage for six weeks............but by then, it isn't likely to go any lower...........my liver just pumps it out like mad.  I do take fish oil, and have for about 10 years, also all of the B vitamins and folic acid.

I even flew out to the Cleveland Clinic when I found out I needed a pacemaker.........since they're the best in heart disease...........they agreed.  But most people I know, who take statins continue with an annual blood test.  

I just don't know why my CLIMBED so high while on statins.........

My father had his second MI at 61.............slender build, low BP, high cholesterol. so unfortunately a lot his hereditary since most of our cholesterol is produced by our liver and not diet..........especially in someone as thin as I am.

Thank you so much for your response.

I'm not worried about a heart attack...........we all have our time.  My fear would be a stroke; actually to partially stroke out............I have a living will and DNR, but it's the stroke that most concerns me.

[Flycaster305]

I'm sure you have a lot of concerns, I would also.  You are obviously very lean, but I'm sure the first question a doctor would ask would be about your diet. High trigs are generally a result of ingesting a lot of sugar.  Do you drink much beer or hard liquor?  

I'm questioning why you didn't have complete blood tests three months after taking a statin and every six months thereafter.  I believe that is the protocol most doctors follow.  Muscle pains can be a sign of a reaction to statins.  Left arm pain is indeed a sign of angina.  However, that also could be a reaction to statins, and certainly a reaction to falling down the stairs.

In my case, I went through four statin drugs before I found the one that helped me (Vytorin).  I do believe that taking a high quality fish oil, two grams a day has substantially dropped my Trigs.  

I would suggest you discuss with your doctor the possibility of the statins giving you the pain, and I'd address the fact that blood tests certainly should have come much earlier.  Keep us informed.